Even though everyone is equal before the law, the current construction regulations often make hostages out of builders and developers. The recent episode with the stairs to the Cabinet of Ministers building shows this in a very clear way, Chairman of the National Economy, Agriculture, Environment and Regional Policy Commission Vyacheslav Dombrovskis says.

“Amendments to the current Construction Law, currently being prepared for submission to the Saeima, will make the process of challenging construction permits faster, more honest and more transparent”, – he adds.

Amendments to the Construction Law provide – if a request to halt construction is submitted to the court simultaneously with the plea, the court is to decide on this matter along with initiating proceedings. On the other hand – if the plaintiff does not submit a request to halt construction, the construction permit’s validity is not declared forfeit. Therefore, the construction permit challenging process will require the court’s decision, Saeima faction’s Reform Party’s (RP) press-secretary Kaspars Odins reports.

The current Construction Law does not offer any opportunities to make this process more transparent and honest for residents and builders. Quite the opposite, it allows corruption risks and such absurd situations like the one with the Cabinet of Ministers, Dombrovskis says.

BNN previously reported that the National Values Preservation Mission association is attempting to stop the reconstruction of the staircase of the Cabinet of Ministers building by challenging the construction permit issued by Riga City Council. The association was founded nearly four months ago, and its founders are related to the SIA Pro Dev construction company, which previously unsuccessfully participated in a several procurement projects of the State Treasury.

Director of the State Chancellery Elita Dreimane is concerned that this association may have been founded on behalf of a third party, hiding behind would be painful problems of society. “Such things are not a rarity. It is clear that this ruins the impression about a civil association and its mission – to represent society’s interests. Such scenarios paralyse building reconstruction projects and create significant complications for their work (organization of foreign visits, making it impossible for the Cabinet of Ministers to carry out social and widely attended events). This is why it is important to assess construction regulation and prevent the possibilities of unjustified attempts to stop construction processes because of personal interests,” – as Dreimane told BNN.

Director of the State Chancellery notes that the institution had consultations with Sustento organization prior to beginning the staircase reconstruction project. Sustento is a strategic partner of the government in the carrying out of different social projects. Sustento is one of the most competent organizations in Latvia that represents invalids. It should be said that the reconstruction of the staircase of the Cabinet of Ministers was initiated last autumn. The project was to be finished in the middle of February 2013, but access to the government building is still only available through the Supreme Court.

Data compiled by International Data Corporation shows: every third illegally downloaded software programme is infected with malicious software. Nevertheless, 69% of consumers and 33% of businesses in Europe procure computers with software from unsafe sources.

Higher prices of oil have allowed the Russian economy to recover despite European Union's and U.S. sanctions and in time to benefit the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has secured his next term in office.

In 2017, there were 17.0 thousand job vacancies in Latvia, which was 2.6 thousand vacancies or 17.9 % more than in 2016. In public sector there were 6.1 thousand job vacancies van in private sector 10.9 thousand vacancies.

Cosmetics producers in Latvia export products worth EUR 20 million every year. Volumes increase 5% every year. The main export partner states are located in Europe. Still, there has been a significant increase of export volumes to third countries – to some countries this increase was as large as 60% -70%, according to data from Latvian Cosmetic Manufacturers Association.

American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia (ACCL): «We are concerned that Latvian society’s and its government’s political culture has not changed much since the publication of information detailing events associated with Ridzene talks in 2009-2011. The state capture detailed there may still be possible...

On Monday, 19 March, weather in Latvia will change, as a low atmospheric pressure area together with an atmospheric front will approach the country from the north. The day will be sunny for the most part, but the amount of clouds will increase as hours go by, as reported by State Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre.

In a reaction to Russia's announcement that it would expel 23 British diplomats from Moscow as part of the UK-Russia argument over poisoning of double-agent in an English city, Ukrainian Foreign Minister has suggested to his British counterpart that the 23 diplomats could now work in Ukraine.

Aivars Lembergs, who is accused of serious crimes and is currently suspended from his post as chairman of Ventspils City Council, had proposed his candidacy for the post of prime minister of Latvia multiple times in the past. The moment has come at long last when Lembergs will not be an official candidate for the aforementioned post, as BNN was told by the leader of Union of Greens and Farmers’ Saeima faction Augusts Brigmanis.

Despite the current demanding security situation, in the NATO military alliance, no more than three member states of the European Union have reached the recommended defence spending sum in 2017 and Estonia is one of them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin been announced as the winner of the Sunday, March 18, presidential election, as the politician has pledged to devote his new term in office to strengthen Russia’s defences against the West and to improve the quality of life.

Some 5,000 people gathered outside the Lithuanian parliament in Vilnius on Thursday, March 15, to express discontent with the failed parliamentary vote to impeach MP Mindaugas Bastys and the performance of the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union.

The Legionnaires’ remembrance procession in Riga on Friday, 16 March, passed peacefully. Nevertheless, several conflicts did take place among differently-minded people near the Freedom Monument. Two individuals were arrested by police.

In Latvia, 36% of small and medium-sized companies have plans to invest in the development of their business this year. In Estonia and Lithuania, on the other hand, the proportion of businesses with development plans is 42% and 46%, respectively, according to results of a recent study performed by SEB Bank.

Russian top diplomat in the UK has envisaged on Friday, March 16, that the Kremlin would use maximum pressure on London as Moscow insists it has not been involved in the poisoning of a former Russian-British double agent with a Russian-made chemical weapon, as has been found by British investigators.

18 March 2018 will mark four years since the Russian Federation violated Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by annexing the Crimean Peninsula and causing military aggression in the country’s eastern region. With its actions the Russian Federation has violated international law and basic principles of international relation, says Latvia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Continuing the works on the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland, the Estonian natural gas network company Elering has stated that around 135 million euros, including a 98-million-euro funding from the European Union, will be invested in the project.

The State Revenue Service has declined 18,000 cash registers as unfitting for requirements established by the Cabinet of Ministers. Fixing the problems found in them would cost half a million euros, as reported by LNT News.

Administrative District Court has compiled a shortened ruling, in which it rejected Latvian Anti-Nazi Committee’s application and preserved the decision imposed by Riga City acting CEO on 13 March 2018 on establishing restrictions on the planned gathering and protest act for 16 March unchanged.